Gel pad for footwear

ABSTRACT

A gel pad for use in a sockliner designed to strategically support the weight of the wearer and to distribute underfoot pressure. The gel pad includes a base having a top face, a bottom face and a central floor portion associated with the bottom face, an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of the bottom face surrounding the central floor portion, and a plurality of spaced apart hollow pillars positioned across the surface of the central floor portion. The network of hollow pillars support the body weight of the wearer without bottoming out and the pillars are sufficiently spaced from each other to allow for expansion horizontally when the pillars are compressed vertically. Each of the pillars may be substantially octagonally shaped.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a footwear construction and, moreparticularly, to a gel pad having a network of hollow motion pillars forengaging the wearer's foot during impact.

Numerous attempts have been made over the years to incorporate intofootwear means for providing improved cushioning and support within ashoe's construction. Most articles of footwear are generically designedto accommodate as many foot shapes as possible in order to appeal to abroad range of consumers. Consequently, the resulting fit and comfortwill vary greatly from person to person because satisfying the ergonomicneeds of such a broad range of individuals with a single design isextremely difficult.

Shoes, at their most fundamental level, are intended to provideprotection and comfort to the human foot during the course of day-to-dayactivities. Footwear designs have varied greatly over time as well asfrom culture to culture, with the predominate focus relating tofunctionality. Typically, shoe interiors contain a variety of hardmaterials and/or low density foam and often include substantially flatsurfaces which come into direct contact with the foot. Such materialsare employed within the construction of footwear interiors in an attemptto provide support and/or cushioning. While these types of materials mayprovide comfort in the short-term, such materials quickly compress, thusfailing to provide sufficient support and/or cushioning over the courseof an entire day.

In addition, current sockliners are intended to support the foot andprovide cushion thereto. The point of the heel striking the groundtypically takes the greatest amount of pounding. The heel requires extracushioning in order to provide continuous comfort and longer wearingtime. In contrast, most sockliners are one thin layer of foam material.This does not provide enough support under the heel to absorb shock fromstriking the ground.

In order to correct for the design deficiencies of such footwearinteriors, consumers often purchase aftermarket insoles to insert withinshoes they find uncomfortable in an attempt to compensate for the shoe'sdeficiencies in support and/or comfort. Although many of theseaftermarket insoles are marketed as a simple solution for increasingsupport and/or comfort, their use is often associated with fit problemsand ultimately fail to deliver the improvements promised. This isbecause the space and structural limitations of a variety of footwearinteriors were not considered when these insoles were designed.

Individuals generally find footwear uncomfortable after a full day ofwear, regardless of whether the individual is relying only on thesupport elements built within the shoe's structure or if they have addedadditional support in the form of a purchased aftermarket insole.Indeed, numerous combinations of shoe constructions and/or separatelysold insoles have been employed in an attempt to provide support and/orcomfort. In particular, such current support elements fail to adequatelydistribute an individual's weight during footstrike, causing most of theforce to be borne by the individual's heel. It is therefore desirable toprovide a gel pad for various types of footwear which provides increasedcomfort and support by receiving the heel during footstrike.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a gel pad which uses pressuredistribution technology to adequately distribute an individual's weightand provides increased comfort and support to the wearer. The presentgel pad is designed to be positioned in the center heel area of footwearand includes a network of hollow motion pillars that provide perceivablynoticeable cushioning and improved support over the course of an entireday without bottoming out. Each hollow pillar is sized, shaped andspaced strategically to support the weight of the wearer and distributeunderfoot pressure.

More particularly, the gel pad includes a base having a top face forreceiving a heel and/or positioning it within a shoe and a bottom facehaving a central floor portion and an outer flange which cooperate toprovide structural integrity to the gel pad. A plurality of hollowpillars are positioned in spaced apart relationship on the surface ofthe central floor portion, the top surfaces of each of the pillars beingsubstantially parallel to the outer flange. The plurality of pillars maybe positioned to point downward such that each of the pillar topsurfaces engage the next interior layer of the shoe. The pillars may beevenly spaced in rows across the central floor portion bordered by theouter flange. Each of the pillars may be preferably sized to cooperatetogether in order to provide support and/or cushioning to the wearer'sheel during footstrike. In one embodiment, each of the pillars may besubstantially octagonally shaped.

The combination of the central floor portion, the plurality of hollowpillars, the outer flange, and the use of a gel type material thatsubstantially maintains its form all function to improve thedistribution of the underfoot pressure. It is also generally recognizedthat the gel pad of the present invention is more resistant to“bottoming out”, which for purposes of this disclosure, means that thegel pad will not reach a threshold of force where the gel type materialwill not further compress. As pressure is applied to the present gelpad, the hollow pillars compress vertically, causing them to expandhorizontally. The spacing between the pillars and the hollow cavitywithin each pillar provide space for each pillar to expand horizontally,allowing for additional compression and cushioning without resistance orpressure increases due to bottoming out.

In alternative embodiments, the present gel pad may be positioned in theforefoot region, the midfoot region and/or the hind foot region toprovide support and/or cushioning to said regions. It is furtherunderstood that a plurality of gel pads may be positioned within variousparts of the shoe to provide support and/or cushioning to multipleregions of the foot simultaneously.

It is also recognized that the present gel pad may be directlyincorporated into a sockliner fixed within a particular shoe, or it maybe incorporated into an aftermarket sockliner, to provide improvedsupport and/or comfort over the course of an entire day. The gel pad mayalso be integrated with a strobel insole or insole board as well. Itcould likewise be left uncovered or a removable sockliner could beplaced over it.

Specific advantages and features of the present invention will beapparent from the accompanying drawings and the description of severalillustrative embodiments of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of a gelpad constructed in accordance with the teachings of the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the gel pad of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the gel pad of FIG. 2 taken alonglines 3-3.

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of another embodiment of a gel pad integratedinto a sockliner constructed in accordance with the teachings of thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the gel pad and sockliner of FIG. 4taken along line 5-5.

It should be understood that the present drawings are not necessarily toscale and that the embodiments disclosed herein are sometimesillustrated by fragmentary views. In certain instances, details whichare not necessary for an understanding of the present invention or whichrender other details difficult to perceive may have been omitted. Itshould also be understood that the invention is not necessarily limitedto the particular embodiments illustrated herein. Like numbers utilizedthroughout the various figures designate like or similar parts orstructure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Footwear generally includes an upper and a sole assembly that is affixedto the upper. The sole assembly typically includes a peripheral shapedesigned to conform to the shape of a wearer's foot. For ease ofreference herein, the human foot may be generally considered to havethree regions: the forefoot region (area adjacent the toes and whichunderlies at least a portion of the ball of a wearer's foot), themidfoot region (area adjacent the medial arch, between the forefoot andthe hind foot regions and which underlies at least a portion of the archof a wearer's foot) and the hind foot region (area adjacent the heel,including the center heel area and which underlies at least an area of awearer's heel). When referring to such locations and the way in whichthe regions of the foot are received within a shoe, these terms shouldbe interpreted to include those areas that are disposed generally (andnot necessarily directly) beneath the corresponding elements of thefoot. It should be understood, however, that the boundaries between theregions are not precise and that these terms should be interpretedloosely and with a great deal of flexibility.

Referring now to the drawings, more particularly by reference numbers,FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate one embodiment of a gel pad 10 constructed inaccordance with the teachings of the present invention. Although thepresent gel pad 10 is configured and discussed herein as beingpositioned in the center heel area of footwear in order to provideimproved support and/or comfort to the wearer, it is recognized andanticipated that it can be configured and positioned at other locationswithin a shoe as will be hereinafter explained. The present gel pad 10is also generally incorporated into other components of a shoe as willbe hereinafter discussed but could also be incorporated into anaftermarket insole product as well.

The gel pad 10 includes a base 12 that may be formed in any suitablestyle or shape having a top face 14 and a bottom face 16 as bestillustrated in FIGS. 3 and 5. Preferably, the top face 14 is shaped toconform to the wearer's heel, or other portion of a wearer's foot, andthe bottom face 16 includes a central floor portion 18A and an outerflange 20 which cooperate together to provide structural integrity tothe overall gel pad 10. In one embodiment, the base 12 includes athickness in the range of between approximately 0.25 mm andapproximately 10 mm, a length in the range of between approximately 10mm and approximately 100 mm measured between the two furthest pointsalong a longitudinal distance between points 28 and 30 illustrated inFIG. 2, and a width in the range of between approximately 10 mm andapproximately 70 mm likewise measured between the two furthest pointsalong a transverse distance between points 32 and 34 in FIG. 2. Aplurality of hollow shaped pillars 22 are positioned and located on thecentral floor portion 18A as best illustrated in FIG. 3, the topsurfaces 24 of each of the pillars 22 extending above floor portion 18Aand being substantially parallel to the outer flange 20.

The gel pad 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is constructed to receive the heelportion of a wearer's foot and to distribute the wearer's weight duringfootstrike, providing support and/or cushioning thereto. To this end,the gel pad 10, including base 12 and pillars 22, may be fashioned fromany suitable gel type material including, but not limited to,thermoplastic rubber, Styrene Ethylene Butylene Styrene (SEBS),silicone, injection molded polyurethane, compression moldedpolyurethane, poured polyurethane and the like. The gel pad 10preferably has a hardness range from about 20 to about 60 on the Asker“C” Scale. Depending on the type of material used in forming the gel pad10, the base 12 may be substantially transparent such that each of thepillars 22 may be visible when viewing the top face 14 of the gel pad10. In addition to being transparent, the gel pad 10 could have a colorapplication (paint) on its bottom face that would project a second colorupwards through the pillars and top face. In this regard, it is alsorecognized that although it is generally preferred that the hardnessrange for both the base 12 and the pillars 22 be in the range from about20 to about 60 Asker “C” Scale, it is also recognized and anticipatedthat the hardness of base 12 may differ from the hardness of the pillars22 while both such hardness numbers fall within the preferred range.

In one embodiment, the hollow shaped pillars 22 may be evenly spacedacross the central floor portion 18A, the pillars 22 being bordered bythe outer flange 20. In another embodiment, the space between thepillars 22 may range from between approximately 1 mm and approximately10 mm, the pillars 22 being spaced as desired in order to support and/orcushion the heel during footstrike and to allow sufficient space forhorizontal expansion under compression. Furthermore, the pillars 22 maybe organized into rows extending across the surface of the central floorportion 18A. Each of the pillars 22 is substantially column-shaped, theheight of each pillar 22 being preferably in the range of betweenapproximately 0.5 mm and approximately 30 mm, the length of each pillarbeing preferably in the range of between approximately 0.5 mm andapproximately 30 mm; the thickness of the walls forming each respectivepillar 22 being preferably in the range of between approximately 0.5 mmand approximately 10 mm; and the hollow space between two opposed wallswithin each pillar being preferably in the range of betweenapproximately 0.5 mm and approximately 29.75 mm. Based on the expectedbody weight, compression % and load supported by each pillar 22, thepillar heights and network spacing can be determined by a person skilledin the art.

The pillars 22 are oriented to distribute body weight during footstrikewithout “bottoming out” and strategically allocate underfoot pressure.Furthermore, each of the pillars 22 may be substantially octagonallyshaped and preferably size to cooperate together in order to providesupport and/or cushioning to the wearer's heel during footstrike. It isunderstood that in alternative embodiments, each of the pillars 22 maybe fashioned into other shapes, as desired, to accommodate variousalternative designs of the gel pad 10 without departing from theteachings and practice of the present invention. In addition, the gelpad 10 could be designed to have different surface areas, shapes andthicknesses due to gender and foot sizes. The overall shape of the gelpad 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2 and 4 was selected because itsubstantially conforms to the outline shape of the human heel andsubstantially covers the heel area. In this regard, it is recognizedthat the overall shape of pad 10 may change depending upon where it ispositioned within a particular shoe.

As illustrated in FIG. 3, in one embodiment of the present pad 10, theheight of the central floor portion 18A surrounding the plurality ofpillars 22 may be a different height than the floor portion 18B foundwithin the hollow opening of each pillar 22. In this particularembodiment, the pillars 22 are recessed into the base 12. It isunderstood that in alternative embodiments, the central floor portion18A may be substantially at the same height or level as the pillar floorportion 18B without departing from the teachings and practice of thepresent invention. FIG. 3 further illustrates the plurality of pillars22 pointing towards the bottom face 16 such that each of the topsurfaces 24 of the pillars 22 will engage the next component layer ofthe shoe such as the midsole. This is more clearly seen in FIG. 5. Inalternative embodiments, it is envisioned that the plurality of pillars22 may be positioned to face towards the top face 14 such that each ofthe top surfaces 24 of the Pillars 22 may directly engage the foot ofthe wearer.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate still another alternative embodiment of thepresent gel pad 10 wherein the pad 10 is incorporated directly into asockliner 26 for positioning the gel pad 10 within the center heel areaof the footwear. In this regard, the gel pad 10 is typically positionedon the underneath side of the sockliner 26 and is generally securedthereto by stitching, adhesives, fusion bonding or by any other couplingprocess. FIG. 5 illustrates the plurality of pillars 22 pointingdownward such that each of the top surfaces 24 of the pillars 22 engagesthe shoe component located therebelow. The sockliner 26 with gel pad 10incorporated therein can be permanently attached to a particular shoeconstruction, or it can be made as an aftermarket insole product.

Although the embodiments of the present gel pad 10 are generallydesigned to be positioned in the center heel area, it is understood thatin alternative embodiments, the gel pad 10 may be positioned in theforefoot region, the midfoot region or the hind foot region of aparticular shoe to provide support and/or cushioning to those regions ofthe foot without departing from the teachings and practice of thepresent invention. In alternative embodiments, it is further envisionedthat a plurality of gel pads 10 may be positioned within various partsof the shoe to provide support and/or cushioning to multiple regions ofthe foot simultaneously.

Further, the overall dimensions of the embodiments of the present gelpad 10 as well as the specific shape and configuration of the varioussections thereof are also subject to wide variations and may be sizedand shaped into a wide variety of different sizes and configurations soas to be compatible with the size and shape of the particular footwearinto which the present structure may be inserted and/or secured, or toconform to any space limitations associated therewith without impairingthe teachings and practice of the present invention.

It is also recognized and anticipated that the base 12 and the pluralityof pillars 22 can be molded into a one-piece pad 10. It is alsounderstood that the base 12 can be made separate and apart from thepillars 22 and that these components could be separate members which areattached together in a unitary fashion. It is also anticipated that theplurality of pillars 22 could be formed on a thin sheet of material andsuch sheet of material could then be attached to the base 12. Otherassembly configurations are likewise envisioned.

Still further, the shape, size and height of each pillar within thenetwork of pillars 22 associated with a particular gel pad 10 could varybetween each other within such network, and the shape and/or size ofeach pillar 22 could include any angle or curve found in a geometricshape. In addition, the overall shape of the gel pad 10 could likewiseinclude any angle or curve found in a geometric shape and the pad 10could be sized and shaped to conform to the particular location within aparticular shoe where such pad will be positioned. Nevertheless,regardless of the overall shape, size, height and configuration of thevarious components of the present gel pad 10, the final configuration isdesigned so as to deliver better weight and pressure distribution acrossa broader area thereby lowering foot pressure and providing improvedshock absorption during footstrike. The present pillars 22 compress andrecover to their original size giving superior cushioning and support toa wearer's foot. This improves cushioning and comfort and provides thewearer with immediate benefits as compared to the current socklinerspresently in use. Other advantages are likewise anticipated.

It is also understood that various modifications may be made to all ofthe various embodiments disclosed herein without departing from thespirit and scope of the present invention.

Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novelgel pad. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspectsof the present invention are not limited by the particular details ofthe examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated thatother modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occurto those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” andsimilar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in thesense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required.” Manychanges, modifications, variations and other uses and applications ofthe present invention will, however, become apparent to those skilled inthe art after considering the specification and the accompanyingdrawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses andapplications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of theinvention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limitedonly by the claims which follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gel pad comprising: a base having a top face, abottom face, and a central floor portion associated with said bottomface; an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of said bottom facesurrounding said central floor portion; and a plurality of spaced hollowpillars positioned across the surface of said central floor portion. 2.The gel pad of claim 1 wherein said pad is formed from a materialselected from the group consisting of thermoplastic rubber, SEBS,silicone and polyurethane.
 3. The gel pad of claim 2 wherein thematerial used in forming said base is substantially transparent.
 4. Thegel pad of claim 1 wherein the bottom face of the base includes a colorapplication that will project upwards to the top face.
 5. The gel pad ofclaim 1 wherein the pillars are substantially octagonally shaped.
 6. Thegel pad of claim 1 wherein the pillars are evenly spaced across thesurface of the central floor portion.
 7. The gel pad of claim 1 whereinthe pillars are organized into rows extending across the surface of thecentral floor portion.
 8. The gel pad of claim 1 wherein said pad isintegrated into a sockliner.
 9. The gel pad of claim 1 wherein said padis integrated into an insole.
 10. The gel pad of claim 1 wherein atleast a portion of each of said plurality of pillars is recessed in saidbase.
 11. The gel pad of claim 1 wherein said base has a hardness in therange from about 20 to about 60 on the Asker C Scale.
 12. The gel pad ofclaim 1 wherein each of said pillars has a hardness in the range fromabout 20 to about 60 on the Asker C Scale.
 13. The gel pad of claim 1wherein the height of each pillar is in the range of between about 0.5mm and about 30 mm.
 14. The gel pad of claim 1 wherein the hollow spacebetween two opposed walls within each said pillar is in the range ofbetween about 0.5 mm and about 29.75 mm.
 15. The gel pad of claim 1wherein the thickness of the walls forming each said pillar is in therange of between about 0.5 mm and about 10 mm.
 16. The gel pad of claim1 wherein the space between said pillars is in the range of betweenabout 1 mm and about 10 mm.
 17. A gel pad comprising: a base having atop face, a bottom face, and a central floor portion associated with thebottom face; a plurality of spaced apart hollow pillars positionedacross the surface of said central floor portion, each of said pillarsbeing substantially octagonally shaped, said pillars being sufficientlyspaced from each other to allow for expansion of each said pillarhorizontally when said pillars are compressed vertically.
 18. The gelpad of claim 17 including an outer flange positioned on the perimeter ofsaid bottom face surrounding said central floor portion.
 19. The gel padof claim 17 wherein the base is made of a transparent material.
 20. Asockliner for use in a shoe comprising: a hindfoot region positioned tounderlie at least an area of a wearer's heel, a midfoot regionpositioned to underlie at least a portion of an arch of a wearer's foot,and a forefoot region positioned to underlie at least a portion of theball of a wearer's foot; a pad having a base, said base having a topface, a bottom face, and a central floor portion associated with saidbottom face; an outer flange positioned on the perimeter of said bottomface surrounding said central floor portion; and a plurality of spacedapart hollow pillars positioned across the surface of said central floorportion; said pad being incorporated into said sockliner at apredetermined location.
 21. The sockliner of claim 20 wherein saidplurality of pillars are substantially octagonally shaped.
 22. Thesockliner of claim 20 wherein said pad is attached to the underneathside of said sockliner.
 23. The sockliner of claim 20 wherein said padis positioned and located in the hindfoot region of said sockliner. 24.The sockliner of claim 20 wherein said pad is positioned and located inthe midfoot region of said sockliner.
 25. The sockliner of claim 20wherein said pad is positioned and located in the forefoot region ofsaid sockliner.
 26. The sockliner of claim 20 including a plurality ofsaid pads positioned and located at predetermined locations in saidsockliner.
 27. The sockliner of claim 20 wherein said pillars are evenlyspaced across the surface of central floor portion.
 28. The sockliner ofclaim 20 wherein said pillars are organized into rows extending acrossthe surface of said central floor portion.